She had me describe what happened, and told me, “You’ll have to play around to see what works best for her. To start, keep talking to her, say her name, touch her and caress her, gentle touches without holding her. Give her space when she comes back, but try not to let her push you completely away. Stay in the same room, even if she needs you to be on the other side of it. As you build trust, she should let you stay closer to comfort her, when she comes back, but you’ll have to do it on her schedule, not yours.”
“Okay, Kirsten, thanks for the appointment. I’ve already given your assistant my credit card info, do you need anything else from me?”
“I know you bad-ass guys aren’t big on talking about your feelings, but if you need to talk to someone about what’s going on with you, I’m here. I know most of what happened before you left town, and I can only guess you’ve found her again. Your secret’s safe with me, but it’s a lot to deal with and you don’t have your best friend to bounce ideas off of, anymore.”
“Thanks, but I’m good. I just needed advice in how best to help her. I don’t want to hurt her while I’m trying to help.”
“My best advice is to just love her and accept her. Don’t try to help yet. Just be there.”
“Okay, thanks again.”
* * * *
I had a room at the Atlanta RTMC compound, but I didn’t want to face any of them right now, so I stayed in the hotel a few more days while I waited for Harmony to leave on her trip. Ice didn’t want anyone to see me who might place me with her as Harmony later, and I agreed with her reasoning.
She had my burner phone number, and I texted her to let her know I’d be using it exclusively for the next couple of weeks, and then took my phone to the indoor, climate controlled storage space I rented outside of town. Before I left the hotel room with it, I turned it off and sealed it in a cell signal and GPS blocking sleeve, to be sure no one could get a trace on it.
I grabbed two spare guns and a few boxes of ammo from my storage space, and put them into a backpack. Unsure of the internet and wiring situation at the rental house, I also packed a router, preconfigured to proxy everything through a corporation in Cincinnati, Ohio. I put some other miscellaneous items into the backpack, locked up my unit, set the security, and went to a drugstore to buy everything I might need to make someone recovering from surgery feel better.
I also went to a new-age kind of place, and bought candles and massage oil.
When I could finally join her the next day, I checked out of my hotel and made a trip to the farmer’s market to buy tons of fresh fruit, as well as lots of salad fixings, and the veggies I remembered her liking on her salad.
Of course, I also made a trip to a butcher, for lots of meat. My wolf wasn’t impressed with fresh fruit or salad.
She was in the front yard on an old swing when I arrived. She seemed genuinely happy to see me, and let me hug her a few seconds longer than she’d allowed before. Not that I was counting, or anything.
“I have groceries I need to put away. You ready for surgery tomorrow?”
“Yes, I am, actually. I have groceries, too. You didn’t have to bring anything.”
“Got more than just groceries. Do you know how to shoot a gun? I know I’ve never seen you with one, but I brought a few, so I can scatter them around the house, make sure one’s close no matter where we are.”
“Yeah, I can handle them, they just weren’t practical for my lifestyle. I had to dump all my belongings and travel light too often, and didn’t want to leave one where a kid might find it. Plus, I couldn’t get a carry license, and while a stun gun or taser is technically illegal, too, I could get cops to ignore it long before they’d ignore a gun. It’s kind of understood girls need to be able to defend themselves, I guess.”
She shrugged and added, “Besides, guns are loud and draw attention when you use them. Knives and tasers don’t.”
She helped me put the groceries away, and I smiled as she moaned in pleasure at some of the veggies I’d brought. When everything was put away, I pulled her to me and said, “I researched recovery instructions for the things you’re having done, and for the eyelids, especially, you can’t do anything to get you out of breath or raise your blood pressure, for three to four weeks, maybe longer.”
She nodded, and I asked, “So, no sex for a month?”
She rolled her eyes and her mouth scrunched into a smile. “So they tell me.” She looked towards my car and said, “Thanks for not bringing the bike, but you just don’t look right in a car.”
“Yeah, but we’re low key, so no colors, no visible weapons. Just a boring, middle class couple.”